Florida basketball: Big man Colin Castleton commits, transferring from Michigan

Basketball

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Image Credit: Tim Casey/UAA

Michigan center Colin Castleton, who opted to transfer from the program two weeks ago, announced his commitment to the Florida Gators on Sunday night. The Daytona Beach, Florida, native made a concerted decision to return to the Sunshine State.

“After careful consideration with my family I have decided to continue my athletic and academic career at the University of Florida,” Castleton wrote on his Twitter account.

A former four-star prospect in the Class of 2018, Castleton (6-foot-11, 235 pounds) had been a reserve for two years with the Wolverines, averaging 3.1 points and 2.4 rebounds in 7.9 minutes per game last season. He played sparingly as a freshman and was used frequently in nonconference play during his sophomore season but saw his minutes decrease in Big Ten action. However, despite his lack of on-court experience, his ceiling is said to be exceedingly high.

“There’s going to be a breakthrough,” Michigan assistant coach Phil Martelli told MLive.com in early April in regards to Castleton’s potential. “He’s a guy who could skyrocket through that ceiling.”

It will be imperative for Castleton to bulk up before the takes the court with the Gators

He’ll have ample time and opportunity to do so as he will not only be required to sit a full year in residence, per NCAA rules, but will have one of the nation’s best trainers in Duke Warner leading him towards that goal. Castleton will have two years of eligibility remaining.

Florida’s scholarship situation remains in flux at this time as the team waits to hear whether point guards Andrew Nembhard and Tre Mann — both of whom declared for the 2020 NBA Draft on Sunday — are returning to the program.

The Gators lost power forward Kerry Blackshear, Jr. to graduation and forwards Dontay Bassett and Gorjok Gak to transfer this offseason.

Florida has four-star F Samson Ruzhentsev, four-star guard Niels Lane and three-star junior college transfer PF Osayi Osifo joining the program. Redshirt juniors G Tyree Appleby and Anthony Duruji, who joined the program last season as undergraduate transfers, will be eligible to play in the 2020-21 season.